Blinking liquid fuel burner



Dec. 13, 1960 P. BRUENINGHAUS BLINKING LIQUID FUEL BURNER Filed Oct. 9. 195'? P Y v Fig. 4 e

United States Patent BLINKING LIQUID FUEL BURNER Paul Brueninghaus, Remscheid-Lueringhausen, Germany, assigner to Rhewum Rheinische Werkzeugund Metallwarenfabrik G.m.'b.H., Remscheid-Luettringhausen, Germany Filed Oct. 9,-1957, Ser. No. 689,071

3 Claims. (Cl. 67'5`3) The invention relates to Ia device operating on liquid fuel to produce `an intermittent or blinking light, in particular for installation in conventional storm lanterns, having a sleevel surrounding the wick at an interval and forming a chamber for mixing excess fue] vapors generated in the vicinity of the wick flame with air drawn in from below.

Such devices for producing an intermittent or blinking light by means of liquid fuel wherein a sleeve surrounds the wick at an interval and forms a chamber for mixture of excess fuel vapors generated in the vicinity of the wick flame are known.

The known devices, however, fail to achieve a satisfactory intermittent or blinking light that flares up in a regular time sequence; instead, the gas-air mixture in the chamber formed by the sleeve emerges therefrom unchecked and tends merely to enlarge the wick llame generally without any real intermittent or blinking effect.

Now the object of the present invention is to provide a device for producing an intermittent or blinking light, in particular to be installed in conventional storm lanterns, wherein the wick flame rises and falls in a regular time sequence so as to achieve a true blinker elect.

This object is accomplished by means of a shield arranged near the top of the mixing chamber close to the llame, which shield collects or detains the excess fuel vapors generated by the heat of the flame and/or the vapor-air mixture comprising these vapors before it is ignited and ashed ofI by the flame.

In an embodiment, the shield comprises an annular disc attached to the wick holder immediately below the openings therein.

Another feature is that the base of the sleeve surrounding the wick holder at an interval is vertically adjustable in a socket provided with air inlet aperture.

ln a further development, the sleeve when in lowermost position obstructs the air inlet apertures in the socket and terminates below the mouth of the Wick holder.

Still another feature consists in that the sleeve is provided with a pivoted lever with handle for vertical adjustment of the sleeve.

By the arrangement of a shield in vthe vicinity of the flame near the top of the mixing chamber, to collect or retain the excess fuel vapors generated by the heat of the flame and/or the vapor-air mixture comprising these vapors before it is ignited and ashed off by the flame, a satisfactory rhythmic intermittent or blinking elfect is achieved.

The shield may comprise an annular disc on the upper portion of the wick holder, arranged below openings in the said upper portion.

From these openings in the upper portion of the wick holder, fuel vapors emerge and mix with the oxygen of the air entering through the adjustable apertures at the base of the mixing chamber.

The vapor-air mixture is ignited by the wick arne Fice when the fuel vapor, by sucient admixture of atmosphen'c oxygen, has formed a combustible mixture, whereupon it momentarily enlarges the wick flame.

'Ilhen the same process repeats itself, the combustion of the accumulated fuel-air mixture recurring at short intervals so that the ame gives the effect of a rhythmically flickering or blinking light. Y

However, in order that the storm lantern need not be used exclusively for producing an intermittent or blinking light, the device is moditied so that it may also serve as an ordinary burner.

For this purpose, the sleeve forming the mixing charnber is mounted at its base in a socket provided with air inlet apertures. I Y

The sleeve is vertically adjustable by means of a pivoted lever bearing a handle.

In lowermost position, the sleeve shuts oi the air inlet openings in the socket below and terminates below the mouth of the wick holder above. Then no mixing chamber is present, there being no admission of air to the sleeve. The fuel vapors mix with air above the Wick holder, and a steady uniform flame is obtained as in an ordinary lamp. But when the sleeve is raised, the air in'- let apertures in the socket are opened and atmospheric oxygen enters the sleeve through the apertures, while the sleeve projects above the mouth of the wick holder above, thus forming a mixing chamber in which afuelair mixture will be collected or retained until it is ignited and flashed off by the wick flame.

Thus the desired rhythmic intermittent or blinking effect is achieved.

The device according to the invention will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but it should be understood that these are given by way of illustration and not of limitation and that many changes in the details may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings,

Fig. l shows a storm lantern in elevation, with stack partly broken away.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of the same storm lantern equipped with an embodiment of the device according to the invention, in elevation and partial section.

Figs. 3 to 6 illustrate various wick forms.

A fuel tank 1 is fitted in conventional manner with a tubular frame 2 for supporting the storm lantern by a hinged stirrup 3. Within the frame 2, a glass chimney 4 surrounded by a protective grill 5 is suspended in a vertically adjustable manner. The fuel tank 1 is surmounted by the burner system inside the chimney 4.

The burner comprises a wick holder 6 and a vertically adjustable sleeve 7 surrounding the wick holder 6 at an interval.

The sleeve 7 is slidably iitted at its base in a socket 8. The socket 8 is mounted on a perforated plate 9 upon which the chimney 4 is placed.

The wick holder 6 is provided with openings 11 below which an annular cup 12 is arranged as a shield.

The socket 8 is provided with oblong apertures 13.

The sleeve 7 bears a bent tab 14 engaged by the forked end of an articulated lever 15.

The lever 15 is integral with a shaft bearing a handle 16 and friction-mounted in the flange of plate 9. A handle 18 with associated conventional mechanism serves for adjustment of the wick 17.

In the burner position shown, namely when the sleeve 7 is in lowermost position, the slits 13 in the socket 8 are closed off by the sleeve 7, which terminates below the mouth of the wick holder 6 above.

In this position of the sleeve 7, the burner produces an ordinary steady ame.

Now if lever 15 is swung in the direction of the arrow, the sleeve will rise inthe same direction and terminate above the wick 17. This Will expose the oblong n V"esegesi The wick 17 may be of any known shape, for example as illustrated in Figures-34, being of round, oval, an-

nular or rectangular cross-section, the wick holder 6 being of course adapted to the shape of the wick.

In Fig. 3 there is shown in cross-section a circular I l. A device operated on liquid fuel to produce an intermittent or blinking light, in particular for installation in a storm lantern employing a wick holder and a wick; comprising a wick holder having an upper peripheral perforated portion, a wick extending from said wick holder, a sleeve surrounding the wick holder and spaced from the latter and forming a chamber for mixing excess fuel vapors generated in the vicinity of the wick ame with air drawn in from below, a shielding member arranged in the upper portion of the said mixing chamber adjacent the wick and secured to said wick holder below said upper peripheral perforated portion, for co1- lecting or detaining excess fuel vapors generated by the heat of the llame and fuel-air mixture comprising such vapors before they are ignited and flashed olf by Ithe llame.

2. The device according to claim l, wherein rsaid shielding member comprises an annular plate secured to the wick holder immediatelypbelow saidvopenings in the upper portion thereof. Y

3. The device according to claim 2, comprising a socket having air inlet apertures, said sleeve being mounted in said socket in vertically adjustable manner, whereby when the sleeve is in lowermost position it closes the air apertures in the socket below and terminates below the -mouth of the wick holder above, and when in its uppermost position, itY extends above the mouth of the wick holder, while opening said apertures, `and means for vertically adjusting said sleeve.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,135,826 Marischal Nov. 8, 1938 

